The Original ARC Raiders Concepts Look Like Tier 5 Weapons
I was scrolling through ArtStation looking for leaks and scraps of info when I found these early concepts by World Art Director Tahir Tanis, and my jaw hit the floor.
I recognized every single one of these guns instantly. The red canister of the Kettle, the bulk of the Torrente, it is all unmistakably ARC Raiders. But there is one instantly noticeable difference between these renders and the hardware I am currently upgrading at the station: these things look pristine.
We all know the drill by now, you grind, you gather resources, and you upgrade your weapons (Or steal em of a scrub you just killed). A Level 4 gun looks significantly cleaner than the rusty piece of junk you started with, but it still looks used. It still has that "survived the apocalypse" grit. These concepts? They look like they just rolled off the assembly line. It makes me wonder if this is what a Tier 5 upgrade is eventually going to look like.
The Stitcher Is Too Clean
Image by Tahir Tanis on artstation.
Look at this thing. Just look at it.
The in-game Stitcher is a beast, but even at high levels, it looks like it was welded together in a dark room. This concept art version? It’s incredibly clean. The metal is polished, the lines are sharp, and that top mechanism looks like precision engineering rather than a jury-rigged modification. It is undoubtedly the same gun, but it looks like the "Prime" version you would unlock after hundreds of hours.
The Heavy Metal: Torrente and Tempest
The Torrente follows the same pattern.
Image by Tahir Tanis on artstation.
It looks remarkably close to what we have in-game right now, just... newer. The geometry is identical, but the finish is factory-fresh. It has that Cold War prototype energy without the centuries of dirt we are used to seeing.
Image by Tahir Tanis on artstation.
Then you have the Tempest. This one is interesting because it’s missing the optic and some of the bulkier add-ons, which makes perfect sense since we throw those attachments on ourselves in-game. (Except the scope but you get the vibe’ But look at the base receiver. It’s immaculate. Even with the tape on the magazine (a nice touch), the casing doesn't have the scratches and wear of our current Level 4 gear.
The Kettle and Renegade
Image by Tahir Tanis on artstation.
The Kettle is the most obvious one. We all know that tank-on-top design. In the game, it usually looks like a rusty pressure cooker. Here? That tank looks like high-grade copper or alloy. It looks fancier. It looks expensive.
Image by Tahir Tanis on artstation.
And the Renegade just looks sleek. If you strip off the concept attachments, you get pretty close to the in-game model, but this version feels just a little bit fancier.
Scrapped Aesthetic or Future Content?
So here is the question: Did Embark scrap these cleaner designs to double down on the scavenged vibe, or is this a roadmap?
We know the upgrade path stops at Level 4 right now. But if they ever introduce a level 5, I am betting it looks exactly like this. Not a new model, just a restoration. If I can eventually spend my hard-earned materials to make my Stitcher look this clean, I am never logging off.
Got a hot take on this? I know you do. Head over to r/neonlightsmedia to discuss it.
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